Government partners with Field Ready to enhance locally made aid supplies for effective disaster response and recovery
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS (25th April 2023) – Saving lives, increased resilience and mitigating the impacts of natural hazards on vulnerable population through increased access to more locally made aid supplies and repairs in Solomon Islands is the topic of discussion at a one-day training workshop held in Honiara yesterday Monday 24th April 2023.
Field Ready a Non-Profit Organisation conducted the training workshop in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) in the Ministry of Environment Climate Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) as part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by MECDM and Field Ready.
During the Discussion participant representing various stakeholders from NGOs Government and the Manufacturing sector exchanged ideas on how best to bring standardisation of relief supplies (mainly Non-Food Items – NFI’s) and to bring local manufacturers to support disaster preparedness and response efforts.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Secretary Corporate for the MECDM Mr Karl Kuper said the partnership with Field Ready is in line with strategic goals of the NDMO and with support from the US Government, it will help to;
“Standardize NFI locally and expand the number of products and local manufacturers making them in Solomon Islands, as well as the number of humanitarian agencies purchasing locally made items; continuing to build evidence of the benefits of local manufacturing and procurement as a cheaper, better, durable and faster disaster preparedness and response strategy in Solomon Islands and the Pacific Region; and expand the capabilities for its wider adoption”.
He added that these efforts would contribute to a long-term shift in how disaster response is prepared for and delivered in the region including Solomon Islands.
“Disaster preparedness and response must be centred on being nationally driven, locally designed, locally manufactured to hasten appropriate humanitarian assistance to affected people, and support local manufacturers and the national economy” He concluded.
The USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance provided financial support through Field Ready to conduct this workshop.
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